Outside the Vidalia Gem Hotel, After the Story
"How you doing, Chal?" Bib asked.
"I'd like to say exhilarated, because I think the net is closing around our least favorite philanthropist and his company, but what the Munds had to say was unbelievably scary. Anything going on out here?"
"As a matter of fact, Sev and Balk had a couple of run-ins with rats. The first was with the four-legged variety, the kind you usually see scurrying around space ports. The second time, they ran into two of Vidiia's more disreputable citizens, who were hanging around the stairway behind the fire doors. They said they were emigrants trying to get to their rooms. When Sev asked for their travel documents, they said they needed to go back to their rooms to get them. Then they walked out of the building. No sign of them ever since."
"Most of the people in this hotel lived in the Meyel District, didn't they?"
"Yes. A lot of the people who lived there used to be employed by Mupano Industries, too. Just like the Munds. We never could prove it was arson."
"Yeah, but not proving it doesn't mean it wasn't. Bib, I think we need our own 'disreputable undercover citizens' hanging around here tonight, just to make sure everyone in the Vidalia Gem makes it onto their ships tomorrow. We need a full security complement. I want that ship checked over with a fine-toothed comb, too. I don't want any 'accidents' on the way to New Earth, especially since I plan on being on it to provide a little extra protection for these people."
"Right at you, Chal. So, we paying overtime?"
Jerzan sighed. "Yeah, I'll talk to the boss. The 'Prez' won't be happy about the expense, but he'll be okay with it once I tell him what we found out."
Bib walked a few steps from Jerzan and took out his communication unit to arrange for the security measures his partner had just ordered.
Jerzan slipped his own unit out of his pocket. Seconds later, he heard the sweet voice of his Lilija. "Honey, I'm not sure I'm making it home tonight. I need you to slip some clothes and personal supplies into my luggage for a trip - plan on about a week. I've got a field trip in the works, I do believe."
:::Does this have something to do with our discussions with my father's visitor last weekend?:::
"Yes."
:::Okay. How am I going to get your stuff to you?:::
"You were going to come with your father to see the first set of emigrants off, weren't you?"
:::I hadn't exactly decided to, but I guess I can.:::
"Good. I'll see you here then. You'll make some nice folks very happy if you do, not to mention your loving husband, who wants to give you the most passionate kiss he's ever given to you."
:::My husband has given me a lot of passionate kisses. He's really going to have to work hard to give me the 'most passionate' ever.:::
"Consider it done. See you tomorrow, Babe."
:::Can't wait.:::
Act II - Confrontations
Scene 1: Mupano Industries Clinic, Vidiia 9 Days after Departure, (1005)
Dr. Krazel Lem walked past the door, hesitated a second, then continued on to his office. It was the fourth time in five days that Dr. Lendar Klim had been called out of the clinic - and the previous three times, she hadn't returned by the end of the day. Then he silently cursed his cowardice. Oh, how he wanted to slip into her office and look! Something wasn't right, he just knew it. He really knew it.
But the moment passed as he saw a nurse waving wildly at him. He also really wanted to return to treating those who couldn't afford treatment of any kind. The clients who came here worked on their time, not their scheduled appointment time. That wasn't really true, he knew, but still.
"Yes?" he asked the nurse.
"Dr. Klim needs some files from her office. Trilby cancelled, so you are the only one available right now." She handed him a chip. This will let you access her computer and files." She trotted off, leaving him staring at the chip.
He suddenly felt paranoid - had Klim somehow guessed that snippet of conversation he'd heard so many months ago had sparked his curiosity? Or was this legitimate, and did she really need those files?
He'd get the files she'd wanted, then maybe look around. He'd be real careful and not touch anything. Maybe if the gods were answering his prayers, what he wanted would be laying right on top.
Lem quickly returned to her office. The chip let him in, and he used it to turn on, then log into her computer. While the files downloaded - he only glanced at the titles. Files with names like "22.5AB common" meant nothing to him. He'd left the door open, but he looked around anyway. There was nothing that looked like it might answer his questions. Her office was very neat and efficient looking, much better than his. The computer beeped, then shut down. He took the chip and returned to the nurse's station. The nurse who'd hailed him earlier was studying a monitor.
"Nurse Brinak? Do you know where Dr. Klim wanted this delivered?"
"Oh, sorry, didn't I tell you? She's next door at the Mupano Corporation Communication Center. Thank you for doing this. By the way, Madam Tilp said she would be in later - I hope that was all right with you?
"Yes, yes." It wasn't, but Dr. Klim was probably correct that happy, wealthy clients would fund the research. And despite that menace of a pet she insisted liked him, she was a sweet woman.
The guard at the entryway to the communication center smiled as he entered. "Dr. Lem it's good to see you again."
Lem nodded his head politely. He didn't recognize the woman, but she had obvious Phage scarring. "Thank you. How are you doing . . ." he read her badge quickly, "Miss Halik?"
"Better. I was able to get this job thanks to you and Dr. Pel. Tell her congratulations by the way. And I'm gossiping again. Sorry. You are here because?"
"Oh. Dr. Klim wanted me to deliver some files."
She nodded twice. Then pushed a button. There was a hiss. "Yes?" It wasn't Dr. Klim who'd responded.
"Excuse me, but Dr. Lem is here to deliver some files to Dr. Klim."
There were several seconds of silence, then, Klim responded. "Send him up. We're on Level 12, Room 3. Remind him to knock."
"I caught that. Thanks." She pushed another button, and the big metal gate clanked as it swung open.
"You'll want the conveyor on the right, not the left. Have a pleasant day." She returned her attention to her previous task, and he walked into the building.
At least it wasn't ostentatious, but still, the amount of money spent on the hallway to the conveyors probably could have paid his salary at the clinic in the slums for the rest of his life.
The conveyor on the right was waiting for him, door open. He hesitated as he again felt that wave of paranoia. "Too many people know I am here," he reminded himself, as he stepped into the conveyor and the door shut. Not even seconds later, the door opened again, and he found himself in another hallway. "Room 3," he muttered. "This way." These doors weren't open, waiting for him, so he knocked. Dr. Klim opened the door quickly, but just enough so that he could see her but not see into the darkened room.
"Dr. Lem, I'm surprised they sent you. Mr. Trilby is very punctual."
"He cancelled, so I was available." He held out the chip, which she took quickly.
"You had best hurry back. You have a full afternoon."
Yes, ma'am." The door closed quickly in his face, so he turned away. This time the conveyor wasn't waiting for him, so he waited. When he heard the arrival ding, he jumped back. The door opened. "Mr. Indorin?" Krazel was really surprised to see the Chief Financial Officer of Mupano Industries here. That must mean something very interesting and not good was going on. He again regretted his lack of courage to search Klim's office.
"I'm sorry, do I know you? What are you doing here?" Tycos Indorin said.
Krazel squeaked. "Delivering some files for Dr. Klim."
Indorin walked past him, brushing his shoulder. Krazel practically jumped on the conveyor. Hadn't any of them been taught manners?
Scene 2: Voyager II, 9 Days after Departure (1440)
At the Security station, Lieutenant Ishtak suddenly got an odd look on his face. "Captain," he said slowly, "there's a message coming in on a secure channel."
Kathryn looked at him, feeling a bit annoyed with the paucity of the report. "Well, who is it?"
"I don't know." Ishtak seemed chagrined. "He won't talk to anyone but you. He's not from the Fleet, though. It's coming from the edge of our normal comm range. And he's asking for 'Janeway of Voyager.' "
She just knew this was going to be unpleasant; old friends in the Delta Quadrant were few and wouldn't phrase things in such a way. "Put it on screen."
After a moment's delay, the screen showed the image of an alien of a species she immediately recognized, even though they had encountered them only once, a decade ago. It was not something she was likely to forget. The face belonged to a stranger, though.
"This is Captain Kathryn Janeway," she said evenly. "What can I do for the Trabe? Although I don't believe we have been introduced."
:::So, you have not forgotten us,::: the stranger said. He was younger than Mabus had been; his hair was still dark; and his face lacked the maturity and, frankly, the handsome features of the Trabe leader she had known. His face was lean and sharp, and his attitude was tense, but not threatening. :::I am Tokane, a leader of the Trabe. We have not forgotten you either, Kathryn Janeway.:::
From his tone, she gathered she was not remembered warmly. Well, that was reciprocal. "We parted on bad terms," she admitted.
He smiled, and suddenly he looked much younger and even approachable. :::That was a long time ago. Much has changed since then. We heard of your return, and the Prime Governor asked me to contact you.:::
"Mabus?" she asked, surprised.
:::No. Sadly, Prime Governor Mabus was killed by the Kazon several years ago. I refer to our current Prime Governor, Lotrece. She desires a chance to meet you.:::
Tiny hackles on the back of Kathryn's neck rippled in warning. "I am honored. But unfortunately, I am unable to leave my duties now. Perhaps we can arrange a meeting in a few weeks."
:::We understand your obligations, but the Prime Governor asked me to tell you that we have something we think will be of interest to you.::: He smiled. :::You remember Seska, your crew member who defected to the Kazon?:::
That was not an entirely accurate description of Seska, but it probably made sense from the Trabe point of view. Just the mention of the Cardassian spy's name caused her spine to snap to attention. "Yes, of course," she said carefully. "Seska died before we left this sector."
:::Yes, in a failed attempt to capture your ship, I believe. But her son survived.::: Tokane paused, then added, :::And we have him.:::
Kathryn stared at him. "I am surprised. I assumed he was still with Maje Cullah or the Nistrim."
:::Has no one told you? Cullah is dead. We had an unfortunate altercation a few years ago, and his son has been with us ever since. Except . . . it appears he wasn't Cullah's son after all.:::
"I don't understand," she said without emotion, but she was afraid she did.
:::The boy is half human,::: Tokane said.
"That's impossible." She spoke without hesitation. "The child was examined by our physician. He confirmed that he was Cullah's son."
Tokane shrugged. :::I can't explain that. I can only tell you what we see now. He is definitely not Kazon, nor any other race from this sector. We'd heard that one of your officers had a liaison with Seska and assumed she made a mistake. Or she simply hoped to deceive Cullah.::: After a slight pause, he added, :::The boy is sickly, and our physicians cannot treat him. They do not understand his genetic makeup.:::
Kathryn sat very still. It wasn't possible. The Doctor had been very clear on that point. But if the Doctor had been wrong, then the boy was Chakotay's son. How could she ignore this? "I . . . I would like to see the boy. Can you put him on the screen?"
Tokane's smile returned. :::I'm afraid not. That's why the Prime Governor suggested I contact you. She suggests that you take one of your shuttles and meet her and the boy. Now, as you yourself said, we parted on bad terms and it is difficult to trust again. So she proposes that she will come alone, and you do the same.::: His smile faded. :::But do come alone, Captain Janeway. No escorts, no guards. If you do not, there will be no meeting.:::
Tuvok began in a low voice, "Captain . . ." but she waved him off.
"Send me the coordinates," she said.
Tokane nodded to someone she could not see. :::Lotrece will be there in three hours, but she will not wait long. Please be prompt.::: He smiled again. :::It is good to see you at last, Captain Janeway.:::
The screen went dark, and she leaned back, frowning. Tuvok spoke up, "Surely you do not intend to go. This is probably a ruse."
"Almost certainly," she agreed. "We've been down this road before, haven't we?" She shook her head once. "But we need to know more, and we won't learn anything by avoiding them. This is our best chance to get some intelligence on these raiders." She stood. "Convene the senior staff in the conference room in five minutes. And ask Captain La Forge and his staff to join us by comm. We've got some planning to do."
The Conference
Entering the conference room, a feeling of déjà vu struck Kathryn, even though she knew exactly what was the same and what was different. Although the design of the room itself was very similar to that of the original Voyager, the faces were wrong. She still half-expected to see Chakotay in uniform in the place Tuvok now occupied, and she missed Harry Kim. But Harry was on the screen, with the rest of the senior staff of the Odyssey, and this was one meeting that Chakotay definitely should miss. She had not yet told him about the claims from the Trabe and didn't intend to tell him until she had a plan in place.
"Thank you for joining us, Captain La Forge," she said as she took her seat. "Have you been briefed on the situation?"
:::Yes, I understand that Commander Tuvok and Commander Kim have been able to confirm that this communication came from the ship that was following us, and it is likely the same ship that attacked our recon shuttle. But I'd appreciate a little background. I'm not sure we understand all the context for this.:::
She nodded. "It is rather convoluted. Tuvok, can you summarize our encounter with the Trabe?"
"Certainly, Captain." He took a heartbeat to organize his thoughts. "We encountered the Trabe a few months after our unplanned arrival in the Delta Quadrant. After failing to negotiate a working relationship with the Kazon, we met the Trabe. They had a long-standing enmity with the Kazon, based on years of planetary occupation and oppression, but expressed an interest in ending that. Captain Janeway, in hopes of developing a long-term alliance with the Trabe, brokered a peace conference. However, she discovered that the conference was a ruse. The Trabe intended to murder all the Kazon leaders present."
:::Interesting approach,::: La Forge said dryly.
"I'll give Mabus this much," Kathryn said grudgingly, "he believed that peace would not be possible as long as the Kazon leadership remained unchanged, so he decided to accelerate that change."
Paris offered, "Like cutting off the head of a snake."
"He didn't feel it necessary to share his plan with me. Luckily, we figured it out in time and were able to avert wholesale slaughter." Kathryn shook her head, remembering how intensely angry she had been when she realized how she had been used. "Needless to say, neither the Kazon nor the Trabe were happy with the situation. That was our last encounter with the Trabe, but the Kazon continued to be a problem for a while longer."
La Forge nodded. :::Thanks, that clarifies things. What about this boy? I don't recall seeing anything about him in any of the reports.:::
The members of her original crew shifted a bit uncomfortably. It was Tuvok who spoke first. "You are aware that there was a Cardassian spy called Seska disguised as a Bajoran on Voyager's crew?"
:::Yes, she was part of the Maquis contingent, wasn't she?::: La Forge said.
"Correct. Seska was somewhat obsessed with Professor - then Commander - Chakotay."
He paused, letting the implications of that sink in. Only the slightly stunned silence allowed everyone to hear Sam Lavelle say in a low tone, :::Holy cow.:::
La Forge cleared his throat. :::"So this boy is Chakotay's son?:::
Dr. Zimmerman said emphatically, "He is not. Seska attempted to impregnate herself with a DNA sample that she took from Sickbay, but I examined that baby and he had no human markers. He was clearly a Cardassian-Kazon hybrid."
:::So you're saying she stole Professor Chakotay's DNA and used it, but it wasn't his son?::: Sam Lavelle asked.
"Seska insinuated herself into the Kazon by entering into a relationship with Maje Cullah, the leader of the Nistrim sect," Tuvok explained.
:::Insinuate? That's one word for it,::: Lavelle said, earning a warning look from La Forge. He looked chastened but pressed on, :::It's just so unbe-, uh, hard to grasp. With all due respect, Doctor, isn't it possible you made a mistake?:::
"No. It isn't. I was fully aware of the sensitivity of the issue and conducted a thorough examination." The Doctor leaned back with an expression that defied any further questions.
"As you can see," Kathryn said, "they chose their bait carefully. This would be a very personal issue for me if it involved only the Trabe. The addition of Seska's son complicates it greatly. But Tokane's ship is most likely the same that attacked Mr. Kim and the Krowtonan shuttle, and we need to know why and what they are doing with invidium."
"You don't trust them, do you, Captain?" B'Elanna asked.
"Oh, no," she assured her. "We learned the hard way that the Trabe's moral imperative is survival, and that they will do anything to assure that. I don't take anything they tell us at face value."
"That is why it is not logical for them to have turned to piracy," Tuvok commented. "They have been refugees since their expulsion from the Kazon worlds thirty-five years ago. Taking aggressive action which invites investigation and retaliation seems counterproductive."
B'Elanna looked troubled. "They may be getting desperate. After all, it has been thirty-five years. By now, they must have approached everyone in this region. If they've been refused by everyone, they may have given up. Piracy may seem their only means of survival."
La Forge nodded. :::Makes sense. No one wants to make an enemy of the Kazon.:::
Paris snorted. "No one wants to be their friend, either." Then he caught himself. "But you are right, Captain La Forge. The Kazon would surely harass, if not outright attack, anyone who helped the Trabe. They are really good at holding a grudge."
"If they've been refused by everyone," Ensign Auraan asked, "why are they still here? Why haven't they moved on to expand their search?"
"The Trabe think they are entitled to be here," Paris said. "And besides, to move on, they would probably have to cross the Nekrit Expanse. That's a pretty daunting proposition."
"But it is an excellent question. Why are they still here?" Tuvok frowned. "Logically, there must be some advantage or gain for them."
"They are building a fortune through piracy?"
:::No, Tom,::: Harry interjected from Odyssey. :::They aren't taking cargo, they're destroying ships. There's no fortune in that.:::
:::Unless they're mercenaries,::: Sam Lavelle said off-handedly.
Everyone looked at him as if struck by the same thought at the same instant. "They found a friend," Paris said slowly. "Someone is paying them to do this."
:::Or promised them a home,::: Harry said. :::That's the only thing the Trabe really want.:::
"But who?" B'Elanna asked. "We can rule out the Kazon and the Talaxians. And the Vidiians. It doesn't make sense that the Vidiians would pay the Trabe to destroy their own ships."
:::And the Haakonians, ::: Harry added. :::They wouldn't have attacked their own ship.:::
"That is why we need more information," Kathryn said. "We have to get them to talk to us. And we are running out of time."
Dr. Zimmerman looked at her in alarm. "Captain, surely you aren't proposing that you meet them alone. You remember what happened the last time you met with space pirates."
"Vividly, I assure you." Janeway shook her head. "No, Doctor, whatever plan we come up with, it will not include me meeting with the Trabe by myself. All right people, I'm open to suggestions. We need to get close enough to gather data but in a way that allows us to return safely."
Lieutenant Jenny Delaney, Astrometrics Chief of Odysssey, spoke for the first time. :::The coordinates for the meeting place are interesting. There's a medium size comet passing just on the edge of the long-range sensors of the Flyer class shuttles. We could have one hiding behind it as protection.:::
:::Not much protection if they just beam the Captain out,::: Lavelle noted. :::That's what happened before, right? All they'd have to do is knock out the shields.:::
:::So you did read our action reports. I'm impressed,::: Harry said just loudly enough for Lavelle, seated beside him, to hear. His first officer shrugged.
La Forge urged, :::Send someone else. I know what they said, but when presented with a different face, they might just give something away.:::
"Or they might just fire," Kathryn replied. "Tokane did not strike me as the indecisive type."
"I've reviewed all the data we have on the raiders' ship," B'Elanna said. "It isn't much, but we know they are fairly small, bigger than a shuttle but smaller than a Defiant-class vessel. They are heavily armed, very fast; and I think they may have a cloaking device of some kind. When they attacked Harry's shuttle, they didn't show up on sensors until they were practically upon him."
"Terrific," Tom muttered.
"I've been thinking about things that hide from sensors," B'Elanna went on. "And we keep coming back to invidium."
:::Yes,::: La Forge said slowly, :::it wouldn't be a cloak, technically. More like a mask, something to confuse our sensors. But I have no idea how to keep that much invidium stable.:::
"But if they are, now that we know what to look for, we can find them," B'Elanna said with growing excitement.
:::And it shouldn't be too hard to neutralize it,::: La Forge said, showing his engineering roots in his shared enthusiasm, :::We don't need phasers, just a lot of cryonetrium. It's the only thing we ever found that neutralized the invidium.:::
"Cryonetrium torpedoes?" Tom murmured sardonically.
Ensign Auraan looked very unhappy. "I am sorry, but I do not understand. What is the significance of cryonetrium?"
:::It is a little esoteric,::: La Forge acknowledged. :::Cryonetrium is a gas that holds its gaseous state even at absolute zero. It's the only known way to neutralize the nucleosynthesizing cascade caused by free invidium.:::
"Oh," Dr. Zimmerman said suddenly, sounding almost surprised. "Oh, yes. I believe I have the solution.
